


knife in my back

by palmsxieri



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Emotional Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Traitor!Punz, Violence, but not yet, dream is the villain in this story, i dont know how to tag im so sorry, minecraft but its real life so you die you die, some good ‘ole punz angst for you today, thats later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:35:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28141749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palmsxieri/pseuds/palmsxieri
Summary: The SMP didn’t hold the same joy it once did.To be completely transparent, it felt like a graveyard.(or: punz realizes what he should’ve done to begin with.)
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Luke | Punz, Luke | Punz & Toby Smith | Tubbo
Comments: 8
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello!
> 
> i don’t believe there are any tw’s here, but just to be safe: there is brief mention of something similar to what could be described as a panic attack at the end of this chapter. 
> 
> also, this is a work of fiction based on personas, not real people.

He knew the second his communicator pinged, everything was going to go to shit. 

_ Dream: we need to talk.  _

Punz cursed under his breath, moving toward the community house with practiced ease. The air was sweeping through his armor and Christmas sweater. 

The sense of dread in his stomach was almost unbearable. 

The Prime Path didn’t hold the same uplifting aura it used to. Tommy wasn’t there to beg constantly for his Primes. There was no one to tell him to shut up. Nobody walked on it anymore, unless absolutely necessary. 

The SMP didn’t hold the same joy it once did. 

To be completely transparent, it felt like a graveyard. 

The beacons just made him feel sick with guilt. The community house, broken and abandoned, creaked as he walked in.

“Punz,” Dream greeted, sitting leisurely atop a chest. “Thanks for coming. I’ve got business.” 

The man nodded, not trusting himself to speak. 

“Tommy’s left exile,” he continued, surprisingly. “I know he’s with Techno and I know he’s got gear, but I don’t know where he is. So, I’m shifting this plan to a new target.” 

“Which is?” Punz asked, against his better judgement. “No offense, but I thought total freedom had to start with Tommy.”

Dream sat up, and it took all of Punz’s strength to stay put and not shuffle backward. “You see, I thought that too,” Dream chuckled, and the smile that peeked out from the bottom of his mask was terrifying. “But, I’ve realized something. The only thing that will bring Tommy out of his shell sits in that stupid whitehouse in L’Manberg. The start to freedom, my dear Punz, is  _ Tubbo _ .” 

Punz’s eyes widened in shock. “Tubbo?” He repeated incredulously. 

“Tubbo,” Dream confirmed, letting out a laugh that sounded  _ nothing _ like the man he considered a friend. “Punz, if we kill Tubbo, Tommy will be forced to come back to mourn his friend, and then he’d be right back under our fingertips.” 

Punz opened his mouth, but nothing came out. A wave of cold washed over him, drying out his throat and seeping deep in his bones. His whole body froze. 

“You’ll do that, won’t you Punz?” Dream asked, hopping off of the chest. He inched closer to the man menacingly. When he remained silent, “Won’t you?” 

“Yes,” Punz croaked out, swallowing his fear. Swallowing the guilt of having to kill a teenager, one who he once considered a little brother. 

“Great!” Dream said cheerfully, walking to what once was the doorway. “Oh cheer up, Punz. Where’s your Christmas spirit?” 

He exited the house, but not before turning around. “Oh, by the way, we’re doing this tomorrow. I’ll message you the details.” 

Punz nodded shakily, and with that, Dream was gone. 

He sank gracelessly to his knees, the rough top of the crafting tables grazing his skin. He shook with the effort to pull himself together, to not fall apart in the middle of the floor. He placed two hands on the floor to steady himself, taking deep breaths. 

He needed to get to L’Manberg. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although, now that he thinks about it, it really was never meant to be. 
> 
> Not for himself and Dream, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)
> 
> i don’t think there are any tw’s in this chapter but please let me know if there are any that i missed.

Punz never thought he had a flair for the dramatic like Eret did, luring the entirety of L’Manberg into the control room and breaking their hearts one by one. 

He wasn’t destructive and brash, like Wilbur and Technoblade. He didn’t want mass destruction, he didn’t want to destroy anyone’s lives. He doesn’t need stacks of TNT or a thousand Wither skulls at his disposal. He doesn’t need a soul crushing line. 

Although, now that he thinks about it, it really  _ was _ never meant to be. 

Not for himself and Dream, anyway. 

He’d had enough of the tyrannical ways of the green man, and he’d seen enough of Tubbo’s broken glares sent his way. He never meant for it to get this far. But, who was he to blame? He’s a simple man. Dream paid him to do his job. 

But, popular to contrary beliefs, he has boundaries. 

Those boundaries stop and end with Tubbo. 

As much as he hates to admit it, Tubbo is like the little brother he never had. He’d give the world to go back to the way things used to be, just the two of them and the bees. Before Dream made him a mercenary. Before Dream put out a bounty on Tubbo’s head.

It took a lot of convincing to get L’Manberg’s permission to speak to Tubbo. Understandably so, but there was no need for Quackity to tie an unused lead around his hands. He had taken off all of his armor out of pure respect. 

He finds himself standing uncomfortably in Tubbo’s office, flanked by Quackity and Fundy. He rolls his eyes. 

Tubbo looks him up and down, taking in his appearance. “Why are you here, Punz?” 

The man in question visibly winces at how tired Tubbo sounds. He has bags under his eyes and tousled hair.

Punz shifts his weight, meeting Tubbo’s gaze. “I need to talk about Dream.” 

Quackity moves to interrupt, but Tubbo silences him with a gesture. “Go on.” 

“I can’t do it anymore Tubbo. I can’t stay at his side. What he’s doing is wrong, and I was willing to look past it, because he was paying me, but now he’s threatening  _ you,  _ and you’re just a goddamn  _ kid _ , Tubbo. I don’t know how that won’t enter his thick skull.” 

The two men beside him tense. “What do you mean, he’s threatening Tubbo,” Fundy says lowly, narrowing his eyes. 

“I mean, he’s coming here tomorrow night to have a talk with you,” Punz spits out, lacing his words with venom. “And he’s bringing me. He wants me to kill you, and Fundy, and Quackity.” 

The air in the room shifts thickly. Tubbo sits heavily in his chair, deflating. 

“I can’t kill you, Tubbo,” Punz whispers. He doesn’t realize that he’s shaking until Fundy puts a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t want to. I just want everything to go back to normal. I just want it to be you, me, and Sapnap again, hanging out with the bees.” 

He feels something wet on his cheek.  _ Oh. _ He’s crying. 

Tubbo shoots out of his chair and wraps the older man in a hug, rubbing circles into his back. “I know, Punz, I know. It’s okay.” 

They separate, and Tubbo grabs a piece of paper before scribbling something down. 

“I have an idea,” Tubbo says with a wry smile. “And I think I know someone who can help.” 

  
  


***

  
  


Somewhere in the distance, Sam’s communicator beeps. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what do we think?
> 
> feedback is appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> i’m trying something here so please let me know if i should continue! 
> 
> feedback is appreciated.


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